Comments on: Fixing the terms http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2007/10/07/fixing-the-terms/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:25:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Will http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2007/10/07/fixing-the-terms/#comment-40472 Will Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:29:39 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2007/10/07/fixing-the-terms/#comment-40472 I don't have a problem with a vote of no confidence (or the inability to elect a new Prime Minister following it) prompting a general election. That's how the fixed-term devolved legislatures/assemblies are designed. I don’t have a problem with a vote of no confidence (or the inability to elect a new Prime Minister following it) prompting a general election. That’s how the fixed-term devolved legislatures/assemblies are designed.

]]> By: Nimbos http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2007/10/07/fixing-the-terms/#comment-40455 Nimbos Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:53:01 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2007/10/07/fixing-the-terms/#comment-40455 I don't mind removing the prerogative power to recommend a dissolution to HM by the PM. And with our exhaustive constitution (it's not unwritten, it's just ALL our law and so not reduced to sound bites!) that would be easy to introduce by constitutional convention. We must be careful, though, not to throw out the ability to curtail a Parliament through a vote of no confidence. The Americans and others have found to their cost that *entirely* fixed terms are a bad idea - you can never get rid of bad president mid-term - you must sit it out. I think it's a bad idea to start conferring presidential properties to the Prime Minister. Recommendations for dissolution should be put to HM by a cross-party committee, or preferably a committee of the whole house (like a vote of no-confidence). I don’t mind removing the prerogative power to recommend a dissolution to HM by the PM. And with our exhaustive constitution (it’s not unwritten, it’s just ALL our law and so not reduced to sound bites!) that would be easy to introduce by constitutional convention.

We must be careful, though, not to throw out the ability to curtail a Parliament through a vote of no confidence. The Americans and others have found to their cost that *entirely* fixed terms are a bad idea - you can never get rid of bad president mid-term - you must sit it out. I think it’s a bad idea to start conferring presidential properties to the Prime Minister.

Recommendations for dissolution should be put to HM by a cross-party committee, or preferably a committee of the whole house (like a vote of no-confidence).

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